Message from Melinda:

Writing children’s fiction for the last ten or so years, I am a finalist in this year’s NZ Post Children’s Book Awards with my picture book The Were-Nana (Scholastic 2008). I have twice been a finalist for the Joy Cowley Award and was awarded a place on the New Zealand Society of Author’s mentoring scheme in 2005/6 during which I completed my first junior novel Jack the Viking (Scholastic 2008).

 

I was schooled at Mangere Central Primary School, St Joseph’s Primary, Otahuhu, and McAuley Girl’s High School, Otahuhu.

 

I have a Masters of Science (Zoology) from Auckland University (1987), a Diploma in Business Studies (1990) and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English (2004) from Massey University. I am currently enrolled in the Diploma in Children’s Literature at the University of Canterbury.

 

My husband and I have been running a business together for the past eleven years.  I have three school age children, a dog and a cat and live in the central Auckland suburb of Mt Eden.

 

I blog regularly on life and writing, and also produce articles on writing for the monthly Kiwiwrite4kidz newsletter.  I recently conducted a series of writing classes for children aged 10 to 13 at Hebron Christian College, Auckland. 

 

Junior Novels
Jack the Viking (Scholastic NZ) October 2008

 

Picture Books
Clever Moo illustrated by Malcolm Evans (Scholastic NZ) 2006
The Were-Nana illustrated by Sarah Nelisiwe Anderson (Scholastic NZ) 2008

Short Stories – Educational Publications
"Rush" in The School Magazine (NSW Dept. of Ed. & Training) April 2003, Vol. 88 No. 3, reprinted February 2007, Vol. 92 No.1. 

"A Winter’s Day in 1939" in The School Magazine (NSW Dept. of Ed. & Training) April 2005, Vol. 90 No. 3

"Drawing Horses" in School Journal (Learning Media Limited) Part 4, No. 1, 2005, and The School Magazine (NSW Dept. of Ed. & Training) Countdown, March 2008, No. 2

"Last Summer" in School Journal (Learning Media Limited) Part 4, No. 3, 2005, and The School Magazine (NSW Dept. of Ed. & Training) Orbit, July 2007, Vol. 92, No. 6

"Holding My Breath" in School Journal (Learning Media Limited), due 2009

 

Short Stories – Anthologies
"Rush" in Dare and Double Dare ed. Barbara Else (Random House NZ) 2007

"The Gift" in Short ed. Lili Wilkinson (Black Dog Books) 2008

"A Passport to Friends" in as yet untitled anthology ed. Barbara Else (Random House NZ) due October 2009. 

 

Articles
"Cheerleading" in Choices: At Your Leisure, Learning Media Limited, 2007

 

I have completed the sequel to Jack the Viking and am currently working on a YA novel.

 

Media

www.melindaszymanik.blogspot.com
www.melindaszymanik.com – website in development

Affiliations

NZSA – New Zealand Society of Author’s Full Member
Storylines

Kiwiwrite4kidz

SCBWI